Imagine a society in which there were neither rich nor poor. What evils, afflictions, sorrows, disorders, catastrophes, disasters, tribulations, misfortunes, agonies, calamities, despair, desolation and ruin would be unknown to man! – Jules Verne
So is man’s heart. The desire to perform a work which will endure, which will survive him, is the origin of his superiority over all other living creatures here below. It is this which has established his dominion, and this it is which justifies it, over all the world. – Jules Verne
The moon, by her comparative proximity, and the constantly varying appearances produced by her several phases, has always occupied a considerable share of the attention of the inhabitants of the earth. – Jules Verne
A man of merit owes himself to the homage of the rest of mankind who recognize his worth. – Jules Verne
It is always a vulgar and often an unhealthy pastime, and it is a vice which does not go alone; the man who gambles will find himself capable of any evil. – Jules Verne
Now, when an American has an idea, he directly seeks a second American to share it. If there be three, they elect a president and two secretaries. Given four, they name a keeper of records, and the office is ready for work; five, they convene a general meeting, and the club is fully constituted. – Jules Verne
If Providence has created the stars and the planets, man has called the cannonball into existence. – Jules Verne
In the United States, there is no project so audacious for which people cannot be found to guarantee the cost and find the working expenses. – Jules Verne
He who is mistaken in an action which he sincerely believes to be right may be an enemy, but retains our esteem. – Jules Verne
The Chinaman has only a passive courage, but this courage he possesses in the highest degree. His indifference to death is truly extraordinary. When he is ill, he sees it approach, and does not falter. When condemned, and already in the hands of an officer, he manifests no fear. – Jules Verne
The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. – Jules Verne
‘Movement is life;’ and it is well to be able to forget the past, and kill the present by continual change. – Jules Verne
Dost thou know what life is, my child? Hast thou comprehended the action of those springs which produce existence? Hast thou examined thyself? – Jules Verne
However strong, however imposing a ship may appear, it is not ‘disgraced’ because it flies before the tempest. A commander ought always to remember that a man’s life is worth more than the mere satisfaction of his own pride. In any case, to be obstinate is blameable, and to be wilful is dangerous. – Jules Verne